


The Subtle Art of Humiliation

by beardyswrites



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Drabble, Drinking Games, Drunken Shenanigans, Everyone Is Alive, Fluff and Humor, Gwaine Being Gwaine (Merlin), M/M, Merlin is a Little Shit, Short & Sweet, Truth or Dare, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:07:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22220803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beardyswrites/pseuds/beardyswrites
Summary: One of the doors creaked open and Merlin popped his head through the gap, a look of confusion on his features. “Was that Leon I just saw skipping and singing?” he asked, starting to grin.Arthur’s face lit up. “Merlin!” he yelled, his words slurring a little. “Come join us!”(aka drinking games and knight shenanigans).
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 333





	The Subtle Art of Humiliation

**Author's Note:**

> This is another Merlin drabble I wrote four or five years ago. Rereading it made me laugh so much I decided to edit it/add more to it and share it with the rest of you! Hope you enjoy this one! xx

Night was falling across Camelot. As the hours passed and the stars appeared across the heavens, the candles were snuffed out one by one, a hush settling across the city, another day drawing to a close.

However, the castle was quite another story. In the council hall, the drinks were flowing and spirits were high, the rest of the world momentarily forgotten.

“Leon!” Lancelot called, all of them crowded around a table. “Truth or challenge?”

“Go for a challenge!” Arthur shouted, tossing a grape into the air and catching it in his mouth. “We haven’t had one of those in a few turns.”

Leon raised his eyes to the heavens as if wondering what on earth he had done to deserve being roped into this wretched game. “Challenge.”

“I challenge you ...” Lancelot thought hard for a moment, “to ...”

Everyone started yelling out suggestions, voices growing louder and louder, twisting into an indiscernible cacophony, until Lancelot raised a hand and silence rapidly fell, the knights watching with bated breath.

“I challenge you,” he continued, and everyone held their breath in anticipation, “to skip around the castle singing a tavern song, do a loop around, and then come back.”

Leon groaned as there were hollers and crows of laughter around the table. “I knew it was going to be bad.” He sighed in resignation. “Which one?”

Lancelot shrugged. “Any that come to mind.”

“Make us proud, Leon!” Gwaine yelled, beaming.

Leon threw him a withering look, but he was clearly suppressing a smile. “Let’s get this over with,” he said, getting up and leaving the room, nodding to the two guards who stood watch outside as the door shut behind him.

The room burst into conspiratorial giggles. “Shh!” Gwaine, then Percival, then Lancelot all whispered, all of the grinning and shoving at one another. “Shh, shh!”

Finally falling quiet, they listened hard, ears straining. Sure enough, they could hear a few faint lines of a tavern song drifting along the corridor, accompanied by the light hop of steps.

Every one of them completely lost it, rolling in their seats with laughter, hands slapping the table as they fought for breath; even Arthur was in hysterics. Whether it was tiredness or the drinks, everything suddenly seemed hilarious.

One of the doors creaked open and Merlin popped his head through the gap, a look of confusion on his features. “Was that _Leon_ I just saw skipping and singing?” he asked, starting to grin.

Arthur’s face lit up. “Merlin!” he yelled, his words slurring a little. “Come join us!”

When Merlin paused, Percival pulled a chair out, wedging it by the head of the table. “You wouldn’t want to disobey the king, would you?” he said, smirking.

“He’ll enjoy the punishment,” Gwaine told him with a wink.

Grinning, Merlin smacked his arm on his way past, plonking himself down in the empty chair beside Arthur. He leaned in close. “I believe you’re drunk, sire,” he murmured, his eyes glinting with mischief as he interlocked their fingers beneath the table.

“Am I?” Arthur stared at him unblinkingly, shoving a cup of mead towards him. “Thank goodness you told me. I would’ve never figured it out.”

Merlin did not miss the sarcasm, his grin widening.

Leon reappeared five minutes later, puffing slightly and pink in the face. “The guard captain saw me,” he gasped, stumbling into the room, “and threatened to report me to the king for such public acts of drunken behaviour.”

Everyone positively _howled_ with laughter. Arthur couldn’t keep the grin off his face; his eyes shining in ways unbefitting of a king, but was so uniquely _him_ , his expression soft and relaxed. Imagine if said guard knew that _he_ was involved in this.

Leon looked around the room. “Ah, Merlin, you’ve joined us!” he said, sitting back down and taking a hefty swig of his mead. “Truth or challenge?”

“I never said I was playing!” Merlin cried, but the corners of his mouth were lifting up with the hint of a smile.

“You sit at this table, you’re automatically playing,” Elyan told him, grinning. “You have no say in the matter.”

Merlin rolled his eyes. “Fine. Challenge.”

Cheers went up in anticipation of another hilarious, humiliating deed, and then Gwaine yelled, “Kiss Arthur!”

Merlin grinned. “I accept!” he shouted, grabbing Arthur’s face and leaning across the short distance to crash their lips together amidst laughter, wolf whistles and a deafening chorus of cheers.

**Author's Note:**

> Just want to say a HUGE thank you for all the support for my fics lately!! Your feedback means the world to me and keeps me inspired to write.
> 
> So yes, this is a little drabble from way back in my writing documents. Funnily enough, my sister actually reminded me about it last week! It was good to reread this one again and make the necessary changes to it. It's short, but hope you still enjoyed it.
> 
> Thanks so so much for reading!! Feel free to leave kudos, and let me know what you liked about it! :D xx


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